2026 marks 250 years since our Founding Fathers declared their independence July 4, 1776. The fireworks are sure to be bigger and many Americans will pause to reflect on the meaning of our country's founding. Many charities supported by the DonorsTrust community of givers have already begun producing materials and planning events to help us all think about the values that inspired our Founders to throw off the British yoke a quarter millennium ago.
Central to one of those efforts is Jay Lapeyre, a philanthropist who is passionate about ethical basis of America's freedoms. Jay has launched the Free Society Coalition to organize an effort to center our semiquincentennial conversations around the ideas of the Declaration of Independence. The group has produced a brochure titled "Happy Birthday, Freedom!" which introduces readers to the essential values of liberty and responsibility as seen in the Declaration. In this episode, Jay joins Peter to discuss the inspiration behind the project and what lies ahead as 2026 approaches.